Propeller assembly



March 30, 1948. J. GRADY PROPELLER ASSEMBLY Filed June 20, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor J f655de B. Grady,

WW I] ttorneys March 30, 19148. .J. B. GRADY PROPELLER AS SEMBLY Fi'led June 20, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I uventar Jessie B. Gra (29,

B, @Mm

March 30, 1948. J. B. GRADY PROPELLER AISSEMBLY v4, Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 20, 1945 Im/enfor Jesa'e B. Grady.

QM am? Patented Mar. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY Jessie B. Grady, Pasadena, Calif. Application June 20, 1945, Serial No. 600,429

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a dual propeller assembly for gyroplanes and like aircraft, wherein a pair of horizontal propellers sustain the craft in flight and rotate in opposite directions about a vertical axis to eliminate torque on the motor which drives the propellers.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel and efficient propeller assembly of the above kind, wherein. means are provided for simultaneously correspondingly feathering at least part of the blades or planes of both propellers. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved propeller assembly of the above kind embodying two propellers Journaled on a tubular spindle, a drive shaft extending through the spindle and secured at one end to the hub of one propeller, and a gearing operatively connecting the hub of said one propeller to the hub of the other propeller whereby the one propeller is rotated in one direction and drives the other propeller in the opposite direction.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a propeller assembly of the above kind which is comparatively simple in construction, compact and durable, and eflicient in operation.

The exact nature of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a dual propeller assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is .a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged substantially central longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of one of the blades or planes forming part of the propellers, and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing a modification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, l indicates a flange which may be rigidly secured by bolting or the like to the upper end of a shaft housing 2 rigidly mounted on and projecting upwardly from the body or fuselage of an airplane. Projecting upwardly from the flange l is a tubular spindle 3 which is open at both ends. Housings 4 and 4a are mounted for rotation on the spindle 3, and roller bearings 5 are provided for said housings. The housings 4 and 4a constitute the hubs of propellers disposed one above the other, and each housing comprises complemental top and bottom sections 6 and I which are separably bolted together at 8.

Extending rotatably through the tubular spindle 3 is a drive shaft 9 from the power plant of the airplane. The shaft 9 is provided at its upper end with a nose or cap in that is bolted at H to the upper end of the housing 4, thus connecting said housing to the shaft 9 for actuation thereby.

In the construction shown in Figures ,1 to 6 inclusive, each propeller includes a pair of oppositely projecting blades or planes, each of which consists of a main or body portion l2 having its inner end bolted at l3 to the associated housing 4 or 4a, and a hinged aileron portion l4 having a stem l5 journaled in a roller bearing It provided therefor in the housing. As disclosed in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,373,825, dated April 1'7, 1945, collars are splined on the inner end portions of the stems [-5 and retaining nut-s l8 for the collars I! are threaded 0n the stems l5, trunnions 20 being provided which project from the collars ll. As is also shown in said patent, a sleeve is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement on the tubular spindle 3 within each housing and has a top flange 22, a ring 24 being journaled on roller bearings on each sleeve, and retaining nuts 25 for the bearings being threaded on the sleeves. Stub shafts 21 radiate from each ring 24, and collars 28 are journaled on the stub shafts 21 and retained by nuts 29. Trunnions 30 radiate from the collars 28, and pairs of links 3| have their end portions journaled on the trunnions 20 and 30 for connecting the stems IE to the sleeves which [carry the flanges 22 and nuts 25, for rotation by said sleeves upon longitudinal sliding movement of the same on the tubular spindle 3. These operative connections are clearly shown and described in the above mentioned patent and are only generally illustrated herein.

As also shown in the above named patent, operating bars 34 extend rearwardly from the sleeves that are provided with the flanges 22 and nuts 25, said operating bars being slidable in longitudinal ways provided in the spindle 3. The

bars 34 extend downwardly to be operated in any suitable manner from the cockpit or control cabin of the plane by the pilot.

A spider 40 is keyed on the spindle 3 between the housings 4 and 4a, said spider being provided with radial stub shafts 4| on which are journaled bevel pinions 42. Pinions 42 mesh at opposite sides With bevel ring gears 43 and 43a. respec- 44 encompasses the pinions 42, spider, 40 and ring gears 43, said housing being secured to the stub shafts 4! as at 45. .Suitable packing is provided at 46 between the edges of the housing 44 and the adjacent ends of the housings 4 and 4a, whereby lubricant placed within the housing 44 Will be effectively retained therein. It will be further noted that the bearings'5' for the adjacent ends of the housings 4 and 4a are provided between the latter and the spider 40. It will be further noted that the spider 4|], pinions 42 and housing 44 will be restrained against rotationby reason of the fact that spider 40 is keyed to stationary spindle 3. a p

, In operation, the housing 4 is driven from the power plant of the airplane throughthe shaft 9 and cap It]. To increase or decrease the pitch of the aileron portions [4 of, the blades or planes,

.the sleeves provided with flanges 22 and nuts 25 are shifted longitudinally on the tubular spindle 3 through the medium of the bars 34. When this occurs, the links 3| turn the collars I! which are fixed on the stems l5 of the aileron portions I 4. Rotation of the rings 24 on the sleeves and "the collars 28 on the stub shafts 21 causes operation of the links 3| .in a manner to rotate the stems l5. When housing 4 is driven in one direction, housing 4a is driven thereby in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1,-through the gearing 43, 42 and 43a. Thus, the propellers are driven in opposite directions so. as to eliminate torque on the motor which drives theshaft 9.

The construction shown in Figure 7 is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, except that the propeller blades or planes [2a have no aileron portions and are rotated in their entirety for feathering the same. mentioned patent, the blades 12a are provided with stems [5a which are journaled inhousings 4 and 4a and carry the collars ll Otherwise, the construction Of Figure '7is similar to that of,

Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, and remaining parts of both forms of the invention areindicated by like reference characters. It will thus be seen that As shown in my above stood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes may bemade in details of construction illustrated and described, such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. Obviously, the blades or aileron blade portions may be adjusted to any desired position, before flight or while on the ground, in accordance with the lift required.

What I claim is:

A propeller assembly comprising a shaft hous ing, a vertical tubular spindle, an annular flange rigid with the lower end of said spindle and bolted to said shaft housing, upper and lower propellers having hollow hubs journaled on said spindle in vertically spaced relation, said hubs having centrallyapertured end walls through which said spindle extends, a pair of oppositely j projecting radial blades carried by each hub, a

drive shaft journaled and extending through said spindle, a nose fixed to the upper end of said drive shaft and bolted to the upper end wall oft-he hub of the upper propellena spider keyed onsaid spindle between the hubs of said 'propellers and provided with'radial stubshafts'having bevel pinions journaled thereon, bevel ring gears secured on the adjacent ends .of, the propeller hubs and meshing with said pinions', a circular housing encompassing said pinions' and ring the invention provides for simultaneously 'correspondingly feathering at least part of the blades or planes of both propellers. Also, in both forms,

,the upper propeller is driven in one direction-by direct connection of, its housing or hub with the driveshaft, and the rotation is transmitted from the hub or housing of this upper propeller to the hub of the lower propeller so that the latter is driven in a reverse direction.

From the foregoing description, it isbelieved that the construction, operationand advantages of the present invention will be readily under-.

gears and secured on said stub shafts, packings between the edges of said circular housing and *the' adjacent ends of said propeller hubs, a sleeve slidable' on said spindle withineach propeller hub, at least a part of each propeller blade'being capable of feat-herir'ig movement, means within each propeller hub operatively connecting the adjacent sleeve to at least a part of each associated propeller blade for feathering the same,

and operating bars for said sleeves'slidable'longitudinally of said spindle and extending into Said ShafthOliSiIlg. V r JESSIE B. GRADY.

' Thefollowingreferences are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

onirnnys'mrns PATENTS l Date Number Name v ,7

1,449,129 Mar. 20, 1923 1,946,614 Darr nin n ls, 1:934

' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1 483,760 Great Britain Apri -2'6, 1938 550,484

Great Britain Jan. [11,1943 7 

